Exercise And The FluStay On Your Feet During
the Cold and Flu Season

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If you're confined to
bed with a cold or down with a nasty bout of the flu, you wont have to worry
about what to wear or what kinds of workouts to do. Because you wont be
training.

The average adult catches two to four colds per
year. And up to 40 percent of the people in a given community may develop a
case of the flu during an epidemic.

Most flu epidemics and most colds happen during
the winter months - the so-called cold and flu season - when people spend more
time confined together indoors, spreading their germs among themselves.
Weve known for decades that colds and flu are caused by germs. But short
of donning a Hot Zone anti-ebola suit and running for the hills at the first
sight of a sniffling child or co-worker, infectious diseases can be hard to
avoid this time of year.

And thats why I sit here coughing away with
a Walter Matthau nose and a scratchy throat and eyes. I dont have
co-workers, and avoid kids like the plague, but I do travel a lot and come into
contact with a lot of people when I do. So that hand I shook, doorknob I
touched or droplet of sneeze I inadvertently inhaled and lodged in my mucous
membranes wound up slamming me with my first cold of the year - right when I
need to start upping my mileage to get ready for World Cup trials in March.

Could it have been avoided? Perhaps. I know all
the rules and Im usually very careful, but maybe I let my guard down.
Its not possible to rebuff every handshake, and sometimes I actually have
to fly - horror of horrors - in coach.

The UPS Guy hasnt dropped off my Boy in the
Plastic Bubble quarantine bubble yet. Until he does, Im going to have to
be very careful and stick to the following guidelines. To lower your risk of
getting knocked down with a cold or the flu, so should you.

Precautions

- If at all possible, avoid close contact with
people who have colds or the flu, especially during the first three days when
they are most likely to spread the infection.

- Wash your hands after touching the skin of
someone who has a cold, or after touching an object that they have touched.

- Keep your fingers away from your nose and
eyes.

- Consider getting a flu shot, especially if you
come in frequent contact with infected people.

To avoid spreading a cold or flu to others, take
these steps:

- Cover your nose and mouth with disposable
tissues when you cough or sneeze.

- If possible, stay away from people when
you have a cold, especially during the first three days when you are
most contagious.

Treatment

- It's important to drink adequate quantities of
liquids, especially water or juices. Staying well-hydrated helps prevent the
drying of the lining of the nose and throat, which helps keep the mucus moist
and flowing out of the body.

- Avoid caffeinated beverages such as coffee, tea
and colas, as caffeine can lead to dehydration.

- Get plenty of sleep and rest.

- While there is no cure, many medications can
help relieve cold and symptoms. These products will not make the cold go away
faster, but they can lessen the discomfort caused by the infection, making the
illness more bearable.